


Thorin in love

by Hobbity



Series: Family Affairs [3]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Awkward Thorin Oakenshield, Awkwardness, Fluff, Kíli and Fíli are cousins, M/M, Oblivious Bilbo, Thorin needs a little help
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-28
Updated: 2015-09-11
Packaged: 2018-04-17 18:08:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4676291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hobbity/pseuds/Hobbity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thorin, the owner and manager of Erebor Inc, is 58 years old and quite successful. He has saved the family business, he has helped his sister raise her boy, Kíli and he has good friends. He just never had any romance in his life so when a cute English lawyer entered his life some years ago, he didn't know what to do. Luckily, Fíli, Frerin's son, has arrived from New Zealand to help a little.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a side-story to my Chubby Kíli AU "Between Cousins".  
> The only thing you need to understand for this first chapter is that Fili has encouraged Kili to help Thorin along and together they managed to set up a date for Bilbo and Thorin at a flower show. Of course, Bilbo doesn't know that this is a date, he just thought it was so nice of Fili and Kili to organize someone to go with him, otherwise he would have had to go alone.

Thorin really didn't know much about flowers. They bloomed in pretty colours as far as he was concerned. He wondered if it really was such a brilliant idea that Fíli had had. Bilbo would notice that Thorin most definitively didn’t share this interest with him. 

 

He waited for Bilbo very nervously. Dis had assured him that he looked quite handsome. He wore one of his best suits, but no tie. Dis had insisted that he should not put his long hair in a ponytail for once. He was very conscious of the grey strands and right now, he would have loved to have some way of hiding them in a ponytail. Dis told him that he should be happy to have so much hair left, "More than most young men have, you should be happy" but right now he could only think of the colour. He should have dyed his hair. Or perhaps he shouldn't have let his nephews bully him into this thing. 

The only way he and Bilbo had ever interacted outside of work was when Thorin (or rather Dis) invited Bilbo for dinner. This was something else entirely and he would have loved to have a tie to fiddle with. As it was, he shoved his hands in his trouser pockets, then took them out again. He needed to look casual. 

He could do this. He was nearly 60. He had gone into scary business meetings, meetings in which the future of the company was at stake, and faked rock-hard confidence. He would be able to confidently take his little lawyer to a flower show.

"Thorin?"

And the confident manager nearly jumped when he heard the voice. Sweet as usual. There was nothing like Bilbo's voice, whether he greeted Thorin right now in a soft one or when he ripped his opponents apart in negotiations. He harrumphed to hide his discomposure.

"Bilbo. You're on time." 

He could practically feel his nephews kicking him. But what could he do. Bilbo was wearing one ugly sleeveless jumper and trousers that were too short and he just looked adorable. More adorable than a man in his 40’s should look. Bilbo just laughed.

"And you're very early. Are you so eager to see flowers?"

“I amn’t,” Thorin admitted, feeling sheepish. He acted like a teenager.

“I hope you’ll change your mind,” Bilbo said quite cheerfully. “I am looking forward to it.”

“Lead the way then.”

Bilbo did and Thorin never paid much attention to the flowers. He was entranced by Bilbo’s enthusiasm and the way his entire body, but especially his face, became animated when he pointed something out. And the earnest way he listened to experts he asked for advice concerning his garden. 

 

Finally, even Bilbo grew tired of the show and suggested that they leave.

"Em, there is a restaurant nearby." Thorin felt himself flush. 

"There are many restaurants nearby." The amused tone in Bilbo's voice made him a bit more hopeful again.

"Well, there is one that is supposed to be very good." It surely had a name, but he forgot. Kíli had done the booking. At least he knew where to go. He hoped. He’d seen the picture, he would recognize it. 

"I booked a table there just in case you're hungry after the show?"

He might as well give up now. Without his nephews near, he really couldn't do this properly. There he was nearly, sixty and .... Bilbo's voice shook him out of his reverie.

"I'd love to, I'm practically starving. How thoughtful of you."

“I know you like your food,” Thorin said more sternly than he intended and cringed when he saw Bilbo blush. 

The man probably thought that his look towards his own midsection wouldn’t be noticed. Thorin, who generally considered food a necessity rather than a pleasure and who still worked out regularly, had a very flat and hard stomach for somebody his age, while Bilbo had the most delightful little bulge. Podgy. Sometimes even the English language held delights. 

Thorin hoped that Bilbo didn’t think Thorin made fun of it. He loved Bilbo’s softness.

 

As they finished their dessert (Thorin had ordered his only to have something to toy around with), Bilbo looked at him with the sweetest smile on his face.

"This was really a lovely afternoon and evening, Thorin. I would love to do something like this again."

With all the awkwardness of a man 40 years younger than him Thorin coughed in surprise. He tried to smile but his mouth didn’t obey. 

“Sure,” he brought out. “Anytime.”

“I really didn’t make that many friends here,” Bilbo confided and with that he dashed Thorin’s hopes. Of course Bilbo thought this all had simply been a friendly gesture.

When the waiter came with the bill and Thorin gave him his credit card, Bilbo frowned.

“Thorin, I can’t possibly let you pay for me, after you already didn’t let me reimburse you for the ticket.”

Thorin blushed. This was his chance, but of course he was too cowardly.

“Consider it my apology for never praising your work before last Sunday. I was ashamed to notice your surprise. I meant what I said; your role was vital when I saved the company, I amn’t sure I'd have managed without you. Treating you to a flower show and dinner is the least I can do.”

Bilbo blushed too and a man of 45 years shouldn’t look so adorable when he blushed.

“It’s not necessary, but I appreciate the sentiment. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Thorin coughed again, before he managed to ask Bilbo the next question.

"Did you come by bus?"

When Bilbo nodded, Thorin decided, "I'll drive you home."

“That is really not necessary, but thank you.”

“My pleasure.”

On his drive back home Thorin was torn between happiness and desperation. Happiness because he had a great time with Bilbo, the first time they had spent all alone in private and it had gone well. But he despaired of his abilities to ever declare his intentions. 


	2. Bilbo to the rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, this is the companion story to "Between Cousins," but you don't need to have read it for this chapter, everything is explained.

Bilbo was fretting over an old contract. It was easy to see Thror’s mental decline in the documents from his time. He looked up sharply when somebody knocked on his door. This forceful knock could only announce Thorin or Kíli. To his relief, it was the younger who entered his office. 

Lately, he couldn’t make out his boss at all. First, he actually complimented him when he had joined the family for dinner. The next few days after that, he always seemed to be hovering around Bilbo, trying to find the smallest mistake he made. 

Once Thorin was semi-polite again, he invited Bilbo to a dinner party where Thorin’s goal appeared to have been to humiliate him by exposing his rather limited grasp on Irish. He had started to relax when Thorins older nephew, nice boy really, came to talk to him about flowers. Only then Thorin had suddenly taken it into his head to come to the flower show with him. It was rather baffling. 

Contrary to his expectations, he actually did enjoy the afternoon and evening with Thorin. For once, Thorin couldn’t criticise him, because he really knew nothing about flowers. He only mocked him for his love of food. And then he paid for dinner, to apologize for not praising Bilbo’s work enough.

“Bilbo, are you all right?” He blinked, looking up at Kíli who seemed a bit worried.

The boy chuckled. “You were spaced out.”

“Oh, I am so sorry.” He felt quite flustered. 

Really, what an impression must he make on the heir to the company?

“No bother. May I sit down?”

“Oh, of course, I am sorry, do sit down.” 

“I hope I’m not interrupting, Bilbo. I’ve got a rather personal request.”

His curiosity peaked Bilbo smiled encouragingly. Kíli smiled right back and Bilbo thought, not for the first time, how nice it would be if Thorin had at least part of the cheer his younger sister and her son possessed oodles of.

“You see, we’re all a bit worried about Thorin. He never relaxes. Fíli and me had planned to take him to Oakenshield for the weekend, not for work, you know, just for him to be away from town. Only, Fíli’s ex, Ori, is getting his new flat in Manchester this weekend and we have promised to come and help him get furniture and get him settled and all that. His brother was originally going to do that, but had to bail out. My mother has promised to take Bifur out on Saturday, so … we wondered, considering that you work far too much, just like uncle, if you couldn’t go with him? Make sure he eats properly, you know how bad he is with food.”

Bilbo had been on the verge of declining, but the last bit convinced him. Of course, Thorin couldn’t go alone, the man would forget to eat. He smiled and nodded. Long experience with the boy led him to half-expect the hug he received in response. 

 

On Friday, he was a bit nervous as he sat in his office, not really accomplishing much. Thorin had decided that they would leave at eleven o’clock, have lunch in the train and stop in Dale to get supplies. A neatly packed small suitcase sat in his office. He started to doubt that this had been a good idea. 

A very firm knock on his door told him, that it was eleven o’clock. Thorin didn’t wait for him to call him in, he just entered.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes, let me just …..”

Of course it took him five minutes in which he grew increasingly frazzled to file everything away, shut his computer and straighten his desk. Thorin just stood in the door watching him with that rather odd look on his face.

“Ready,” he finally announced.

“Good, let’s go then.” 

He took Bilbo’s suitcase and Bilbo made a fool out of himself as he hurried after his boss and beseeched him to please release his suitcase, he could carry it himself. Thorin ignored him and stoically bid those employees, they encountered, a nice weekend. 

Thorin had ordered a taxi to take them to the train station. On Friday afternoon, this was certainly the fastest option. Thorin booked seats for them in first class, as usual. It really was quite comfortable and allowed them to work on the train.

They bought some food in Cork (or, to be more precise, Bilbo insisted that they stopped at the large supermarket outside town on their way to Dale and he went to get supplies) and had some food at the small Italian restaurant in Dale, as it was already 8 o’clock when they arrived there.

 

Thorin looked at Bilbo as he emerged from the showers late the next morning.

“Why are you wearing a sleeveless jumper in summer?”

“Um ….” During the week, in the office, he bowed to Thorin’s ideas of a lawyer and wore suits. “I like them? They’re comfortable.”

Thorin didn’t look convinced but luckily, he didn’t say anything further.

Bilbo stood awkwardly in the doorway.

“So what do you want to do about lunch?” he asked, mindful of the task Kíli had given him. And sure enough, Thorin actually looked surprised.

“Lunch? Is it time for lunch already? We just had breakfast.”

Bilbo just shook his head.

“I just start cooking then, if you don’t mind.”

 

Bilbo cooked a shepherd’s pie with plenty of vegetables in it. His mother had had a huge garden, after all, and this was the way she had always made it. Thorin unexpectedly, took a large plate and complimented Bilbo after the first bite. And then of course, Bilbo’s mouth ran off. 

“I'm glad you like it, my ex-boyfriend always said that I ruined a perfectly good dish by adding in vegetables.”

“You have an ex-boyfriend?” Thorin looked up sharply and Bilbo blushed, cursing his tongue. He was usually so controlled.

“Yesss,” he forced out. 

“Ah.” 

“I hope that isn’t a problem,” Bilbo fidgeted with the hem of his jumper. “I mean, I know Fíli’s gay and …”

“So am I.” 

Thorin looked intently at the food. Bilbo thought for a moment that he would have a heart attack right here, in the middle of nowhere, aged 45.

“I see,” he said lamely. 

He didn’t, quite. Could Thorin seriously be gay? To be honest, he had never thought much about Thorin’s sexuality. The man was impossibly good looking – no one should have a right to have as much hair as he did at 58 and they certainly shouldn’t be allowed to have a body that toned and they certainly shouldn’t have those piercing blue eyes – especially when one took his baritone into consideration, which was just too sexy to be decent. He had contemplated possible laws against such trespasses in the past. 

It was just that Thorin was so self-contained and so focused on the company and his immediate family, that Bilbo had never wondered if he could possibly be interested in men. He admired Thorin for his dedication to his company, his employees and his family and had slowly developed a bit of a crush. But despite that the thought that he might devote himself to something that didn’t involve Erebor or his family just seemed impossible. His reverie was broken when Thorin cleared his throat.

“Did he have something to do with your move to Ireland? I remember Gandalf said something of a personal reason.” 

Thorin’s voice was voice inscrutable. Bilbo coughed nervously.

“Kind of. It was a very messy break-up and let’s just say it is good I have legal training or it would have been far messier. I had to quit my previous job because of it. I was a bit in a state when I met Gandalf, you know, old friend of my mother’s. He lured me to Dublin, just said I needed to spend a long weeke-end away from home and suddenly there I was, in a job interview with you. I still don’t know why you hired me, I made such a fool of myself.”

Thorin chuckled deeply.

“I decided to trust Gandalf’s judgement. He said that with all the mess my grandfather and father made, I needed someone like you, someone a bit unconventional. Somebody who was good at settling things outside of court. And it was the best decision I made back then.”

“Th-thank you.” Bilbo felt himself blush and cursed internally.

“That is not necessary. And I have already thanked Gandalf.”

Thorin smiled and Bilbo was convinced that the man had no idea just how attractive his smile was. Thorin was such a serious person, even his smile was so pointedly sincere that anybody who received it just had to feel better immediately.

 

It was drizzling outside and they both decided to read a little in the afternoon. It was a nice way to spend the afternoon, Bilbo found. He was curled in an old armchair that Thorin had taken from Oakenshield and read something on growing Lobelias. They were supposedly easy to grow but somehow his always resisted him. 

Thorin was sitting on a small couch, looking very regal and handsome. Bilbo allowed himself to steal an appreciative glance from time to time. 

Then he noticed what Thorin was reading and tutted.

“We're supposed to use this weekend to relax, Thorin.”

“I am,” his boss claimed, but Bilbo shook his head.

“You’re reading through last year’s annual report.”

Thorin chuckled and put the little volume down.

“My nephews instructed you well.”

Bilbo wrinkled his nose.

“I don’t need your nephews’ instructions on how to relax or see when someone is not relaxing, thank you very much.”

“So what are you reading?”

Taking the topic change as agreement, Bilbo held the page up.

“I’m reading something about Lobelias. Did you know that his variety is called ‘Mannertreu’ in German? Apparently it means ‘men’s faithfulness’ because once one plucks it the leaves fall off very quickly just like men become unfaithful very quickly.”

“That is an awful analogy,” Thorin protested. Bilbo laughed.

“I can’t say I ever was unfaithful, but my partners certainly were, so I wouldn’t say that’s all wrong.”

“That is terrible. You didn’t deserve that.”

Thorin spoke so fiercely, that Bilbo looked up in surprise.

“I hope if I ever have a partner again, he won’t be like that.” He smiled wistfully. “One has to be realistic of course. I know I'm not the most attractive man out there and my habits are so close to eccentric that I come across as very stuffy and fussy, so obviously …. My expectations aren’t high.”

He wasn’t prepared for the fury on Thorin’s face, when he barked: "You are wrong." 

Bilbo just stared at Thorin in shock. What had he done now?

"When you say that you are not the most attractive man. You are wrong."

Bilbo laughed nervously. "Thorin, I don't suffer any delusions about ...."

"You are," Thorin repeated forcefully, looking quite angry as he got up and walked over to Bilbo. "You are ridiculously attractive even if your taste in clothes is shit. You're the most handsome man I've ever met in my life."

Well then. That was unexpected. All he could do was blink. Thorin still stood before him, apparently a bit embarrassed and at a loss.

“Thank you, Thorin,” he finally managed to say politely.

“It’s the plain truth,” Thorin scowled again. 

“Well, I don’t think so. Nobody has ever said anything like that and I am 45. You are the one who is quite ridiculously attractive, your whole family is.”

Despite the whole situation, Bilbo had to bite back a laugh when Thorin looked down at himself as if to verify Bilbo’s statement. Then Thorin looked back to Bilbo.

“I can’t believe no one ever told you that you are devastatingly handsome. You have distracted me from the moment you first walked into my office.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Thorin looked fierce again. “You are ridiculously handsome, incredibly kind and most capable lawyer our company ever had. How could I not be distracted?”

"All you ever did was criticise me!"

"I didn't know what to do," Thorin confessed, suddenly looking a bit embarrassed, as he ducked his head. Apparently he had finally realised how odd his behaviour was. 

"Here I was, in my fifties, and suddenly in love for the first time."

“In love?” Bilbo repeated, stunned. Had Thorin just confessed he loved Bilbo?

Thorin blushed. The man was capable of blushing. He nodded more awkwardly than Bilbo had ever seen him. Then something else that Thorin had said caught up with Bilbo.

"For the first time?"

Thorin looked at the floor. "There were times I had a bit of a crush on someone, but I was never in love."

"So you didn't love your partners?" Bilbo asked before he could stop himself. He couldn’t help it, he had always been too curious for his own good. Thorin attempted a nonchalant shrug that couldn’t fool Bilbo.

"I never had one."

"You're 58 and never had a partner?" That just couldn’t be right.

"Never." Thorin confirmed awkwardly.

It seems to be a topic that made the other man uncomfortable, so Bilbo left it. Although he was a bit uncomfortable too. He told Thorin that he needed a short walk and tried to ignore the hurt in Thorin’s face as he walked out of the house.

 

The entire situation was beyond ridiculous. If somebody had told him just two days ago that Thorin Oakenshield, his stern boss, on whom he had had a crush for a while, would confess his undying love for Bilbo he would have laughed them out of the room. Especially with the addition that Bilbo, plain and boring Bilbo Baggins, made him feel things he had never felt before. 

And the look he had given him – how the hell did he miss what this look meant before? Thorin meant it. He adored Bilbo. Bilbo stopped, contemplating a wych elm as if it held the answers. Surprisingly enough, it didn’t.

 

The only problem was that a relationship seemed to be fairly difficult. Even if they forgot for a moment that Thorin was actually his boss. Thorin’s adoration could hardly last, the honeymoon phase in which the other was perfect never did. Only, considering that Thorin had never actually had a relationship, he didn’t know that. 

Would Thorin be able to cope with Bilbo once he adjusted to the reality of Bilbo, not his ideal picture of Bilbo? And, considering that the man was in his late fifties, would he even be able to make room for a partner (boyfriend seemed a ridiculous term at their age) in his life? He had been hurt deeply in a relationship before, that was why he had come to Ireland after all. 

 

But as he turned around to go back, he saw the little sapling, the one he planted. It was a miracle that this one survived actually, he had just put it in the soil back then. No boar, nor any other animal had dug it up and no deer had eaten it. Somebody had since put a little metal cage around it to prevent such calamity. Fíli probably when he was here, no one else who came here had any knack for gardening. Bilbo looked from the sapling to the house, Oakenshield. 

Really, how had he not noticed how much Thorin liked him when he named his holiday home after the oak that Bilbo had planted there? He suddenly remembered that back then Thorin had assured him he could plant anything he liked there. 

Oh boy, he really had been stupidly oblivious. 

At that Sunday dinner, when Thorin had complimented him for the first time, wasn’t that after Fíli had done so? Could Thorin have believed that Fíli was flirting with him? And hadn’t Thorin’s nephews practically set them up for that flower show? The one where Thorin had refused to let him pay back the ticket? And then invited Bilbo to a restaurant?

Yes, it was official, Bilbo Baggins was a fool.

 

When he entered the house, he didn’t find Thorin in the living room. He followed a small noise to the kitchen, where he found Thorin and some dusty bottles of wine which the man must have brought up from the cellar. 

Thorin didn’t look at him when he entered and just mumbled a greeting. It wasn’t even distinguishable if that had been English or Irish. It looked as if Thorin might actually start to cry. 

His voice, when he finally spoke up, was certainly a bit choked but firm as usual.

“I am sorry Bilbo. You came here because my nephew blackmailed you into it by manipulating your sense of duty and your kindness and in return I put you in an awkward situation. It is too late for you to catch a train, but I can drive you to Cork and organize a nice hotel room for you.”

“Or, you could possibly give me a hug, then we polish off the leftovers from lunch, then we try some of that wine and maybe I’ll let you kiss me goodnight?”

One wine bottle would unfortunately not be available for the proposed wine tasting. Thorin swept it off the table as he whipped around. He hesitated, so Bilbo stepped closer to him and opened his arms. 

A moment later he was crushed against Thorin’s broad chest and felt the heavy weight of Thorin’s head on his shoulders.

“I am sorry,” Thorin repeated. 

Bilbo patted his back awkwardly and ignored his own discomfort. The hug really was too tight.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for,” he wheezed.

Thorin loosened his hold a little bit and made a sound somewhere between a chuckle and a sob.

“I was rude to you and trapping you …”

“Nonsense,” Bilbo interrupted him. “I’ve been so stupidly oblivious, I needed you to hit me over the head with your feelings. I would never have dared to tell you, I’ve had a crush on you for years.”

“You did?” Thorin finally released and looked down on him in wonder. Bilbo nodded resolutely.

“Well, the first thing I noticed was that you look much better than any of the young men working for you. And then later, when I saw behind your grumpy and abrasive façade, and noticed how dedicated and loyal you are, I couldn’t stop it.”

“I should have told you how I felt years ago.” Thorin lifted his hand and gently stroked Bilbo’s cheek. “I just didn’t know how. Nobody apart from Dis, Kíli, Dwalin and Balin even knew I was gay.”

“Seriously?”

“Well and Frerin, Fíli’s father.” Thorin shrugged but Bilbo good see the pain in his eyes very clearly. “I grew up in a very conservative family, and for too many years we were in the spotlight because of the stupid scandals my grandfather provoked. His greed and ….”

“I know,” Bilbo stopped him, because he knew how painful that part of his past was. And Bilbo already knew all about it, he was the one who had straightened the mess, after all. Thorin nodded.

“So, that was why I decided when I was young that I would never have a relationship. I focused on the company and later on helping Dis raise Kíli. We were happy like that, Dis without a husband and me without a partner. I never lacked companionship and I had a family.”

“So … come on, don’t tell me you’re a virgin!”

Bilbo realised, too late again, that this question was really slightly too early in their relationship that was all of 5 minutes old. Thorin blushed.

“No …. During business trips to other countries, I …. The first time was in France, when we drove to the hotel I noticed a gay bar and …..”

“It’s okay, I don’t need the details,” Bilbo assured him, and dared to put his hand on Thorin’s beard. It was much softer than it looked. Thorin smiled and they just stood like a couple of infatuated teenagers. Then Bilbo’s domestic side broke through and he took a small step backwards.

“I’ll mop up that mess you made with the wine, you go and set the table please.”

Thorin laughed and released Bilbo.

 

As they were sitting on the couch after a quiet dinner, Thorin’s arm firmly around him, something occurred to Bilbo.

“Are your nephews actually in Manchester?”

Thorin laughed. “They are. But I won’t lie to you; they decided that I absolutely needed a nice and relaxing weekend now because they were not available and could coerce you to come with me. I am sorry for going along with it.”

“Isn’t Ori just Fíli’s friend?”

“His ex-boyfriend, so Kíli is jealous. I doubt the task required both of them to go.” 

Why would Kíli be jealous … hang on … Thorin burst out laughing.

“My nephews are sweet on each other. They believe they’re being sneaky about it and that I was so distracted by my work and by you that I wouldn’t notice.”

“And you’re okay with that? I mean, they’re both your nephews and all.”

“It’s not what I wished for, certainly. I just hope they make it last. I’d love to keep Frerin’s son in my life but if the relationship ends badly, that might be more difficult. Kíli grew up practically as my son.”

“Indeed.” There didn’t seem to be much else to say. Then something occurred to him and he laughed.

“Our relationship seems to be founded on my being told I needed to ‘get away’ for a week-end. First Gandalf pretended we were just going to relax in Dublin when he really set me up with you for a job-interview on the Friday, and now Kíli convinced I needed to get away as much as you did.”

“And that was enough to convince you?”

“No, he also made his puppy-eyes and asked me to make sure you eat enough.”

“His puppy-eyes are deadly, aren’t they?”

And that from the man who raised Kíli. Bilbo felt a bit better about being unable to resist the puppy-eyes of a grown man.

 

They soon decided they had enough wine. None of them enjoyed being drunk or even getting drunk, Bilbo just felt the slightest buzz. He stretched slightly as he got up and looked to Thorin. His boss, or rather, his new partner, looked uncharacteristically shy. Bilbo decided to help him out.

“How about you give me that kiss now and we turn in for the night?”

“Good idea.” Thorin stood up too and smiled down at Bilbo. The man was too tall. But he gently put his hand under Bilbo’s chin to lift it up and he looked down with such an adoring gaze that Bilbo’s heart nearly stopped. Then Thorin bent down and pressed the softest of all kisses on Bilbo’s mouth, as if Bilbo was somehow fragile, or a fleeting illusion that might go away if pushed too hard.

Never, in his whole life, had Bilbo felt so treasured. And that was just after being kissed. Thorin let his hand rest gently on Bilbo’s cheek and caressed his chin with his thumb.

“Good night Bilbo.”

The way his deep voice was just laced with affection made Bilbo shiver. He had to remember to thank Kíli and Fíli for setting them up.

**Author's Note:**

> The next chapter is going to be a bit longer ;)


End file.
